Seychellois Pokemon
by PoisnousPixie
Summary: Her journey began with Vulpix. R&R
1. Her First Pokemon

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p><strong>Her First Pokemon<strong>

She cried the day he left. All the way to the docks, big alligator tears fell down her face, and her thin shoulders shook, as she clung to her grandfathers hand, but longed to hold Cousin Francis's hand instead. It was when his parents were getting on the boat that would take them all the way back to the mainland, that Francis turned to her and knelt down in front of her.

Out of his bag he pulled a pokeball, smooth and dual colored, and so big as it was placed in her tiny hands. "Don't cry, ma petite." He kissed her forehead, "I'll be back next summer. You take care of her, and be good until I return."

Clutching the pokeball to her chest, Angelique nodded, and sniffed, the worst of her crying done. She continued to sniff as Francis boarded the boat, but she followed it to the end of the peer, waving one arm over her head, smiling brightly.

Later that night, before dinner, she let the pokemon Francis had given her out. One of his family's prized Vulpix. She had gushed to him about this one. She was smaller than the others, and had taken a liking to Angie as well.

From then, it wasn't so bad knowing that Francis would be away for so long. She named the vulpix Apple, and the two were almost inseperable from then on. Even two years later when she became a registered pokemon trainer, she turned down taking on one of the three started pokemon, instead keeping Apple with.

It was better with Apple, because she was never alone, and she had someone with her that made her feel safe, and who reminded her someone she loved very deeply. Francis was important to her, even if he was gone for long periods of time. He always remembered to come visit her.

So, as she was packing her things, and marking her map, she decided to make a beeline for the school he was attending in Kanto. As she kissed her grandfather goodbye, and boarding the boat that would take her out of the Orange Islands, a thrill of excitement filling her, with Apple pressed against her legs, and the start her journey beginning, she couldn't help but be excited.


	2. The Legend Festival

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing

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><p><strong>Legend Festival<strong>

Angelique's second pokemon came to her similarly to how she'd acquired Apple. She was given a sunkern, a small seed like pokemon, from someone who was visiting the island of Shamouti as a tourist, there just for the Legend Festival that their town was known for. It was Angelique's first time participating in the festival herself in such an active way. She was eleven years old, and had been picked to play the role of the Maiden, it was her job to play the ocarina and to explain to the chosen champion what needed to be done to 'protect the balance'. It was a silly little thing, but Angelique was so excited she was brimming with energy.

In fact, her need to move and be busy was what had caused her grandfather to send her down to the docks that day. He told her to buy some fish for dinner, and she was more than happy to take the chore on, and headed down to the docks with just enough money to buy two large trout. She normally brought Apple with her, but when she'd gone to find the pokemon, the vulpix was curled up on their back step, enjoying the sun's rays, and Angelique couldn't bring herself to bother her for such a small task. So she'd gone on her own, and bought the fish, before beginning the trek back home.

It wasn't uncommon for there to be wild meowth lurking around the docks, they came for the smell of the fish and often got free fish from passerbyers. Angelique, herself, would often give them one, but today she didn't have enough money to buy them anything. Even so, they followed her from the docks, meowing and pawing at her legs as she went to try and earn some fish. It was a useless attempt, but they didn't stop.

She was passing by one of the large taverns when one of the Meowth grew impatient. He was a bit ragged looking, thinner then the rest, and his claws sliced into her leg easily, drawing a loud shriek from Angelique, who fell over, clutching the parcel of fish to her chest, and curling up into herself as the Meowth swarmed in to try and get the fish. She cried, and screamed, but swung one arm to try and get them to go, but they were determined. Fearful, she nearly let go over the fish to try and get away, when she heard an unfamiliar voice, "Water gun!"

The meowth and Angelique alike were doused with water, and the Meowth took this as their cue to run away. The person who had spoken lifted Angelique up like one would a doll, and cradled her until she stopped crying. It had been a few years since her Grandfather had been able to lift her up, and Big Brother Francis had stopped picking her up when she was nine; so it felt very odd to be held so gently. She pressed her face against the strangers shoulder and sobbed, the fish she'd bought, now soggy, clutched tight, and her leg burning in pain from the scratch.

"Shhh, don't cry, they are gone now, da? There's no need to cry over them now." The voice was heavily accented, not like that of an islander, it had to be a tourist. Angelique flushed with embarrassment, and slowly lifted her head to look up at the one holding her.

His eyes were a deep violet color, his hair as white as the snow on Ice Island, but those were only the most striking things that popped out at her. His features were big. From his broad shoulders, to his wide jaw, and large nose- that looked as if it had been broken at least once. He wasn't handsome the way that Prince Charmings were in fairytales, but she found herself blushing.

The pokemon Ivan had with him was an odd one, unlike any Angelique had seen. Small, and blue, and somewhat reptilian, it was a cheerful little thing though. Even as she was being cradled and cooed over, the pokemon danced at it's master's side, and seemed infinitely proud of it's own success in scaring away the lowly feline pokemon.

The man's name was Ivan, Angelique would find. He was from the mainland, Celadon City, to be precise, and was traveling all over the place. He'd heard about the Legend Festival while making his way back from Johto, and had decided to come see it. His pokemon was a totodile, a starter pokemon in the Johto region, but he specialized in Sunflora, a sunflower like pokemon that he showed Angelique while he cleaned her leg and bandaged it for her.

Ivan, who was only 17, she found, walked her all the way back to her little home, and greeted her grandfather in a very respectable manner, even offering to assist with cooking, since Angelique needed to stay off her leg.

He listened to her gush about her chance to take part in the Legend Festival, and even complimented her on the song she'd been practicing on her ocarina for the festival.

He came to visit every day before the festival. Sometimes he brought food with him, others he came without, but he always came without a doubt. Within two days, Angelique was able to walk again, though not very quickly, and played tour guide for Ivan. Her and Apple showed him around the island, told him all the stories and legends that she'd grown up with, and pointed out the three islands that the champion would have to visit. Ivan told stories of his own, of his sisters back in Celadon, and his journeys in Johto and Hoenn. His presence seemed to scare a lot of islanders, bu Angelique was never bothered by his presence.

When the festival finally came around, she found herself to be quite sad. Once it was over, she knew Ivan would be leaving. He planned to return to Celadon, he told her, for a little while, and then go on to Sinnoh. Angelique promised to visit him in Celadon when she registered, she told him it would be her first stop, before she would continue on to visit Francis in Saffron.

On the night of the festival, Angelique's excitement had turned too stage fright. She knew every step, every line, and could play the song perfectly. But she had never done so in front of such a big crowd. Had never done it in her ceremonial dress. The pressure made her terribly nervous, and even with Apple right by her side, she couldn't quite break the feeling of anxiety that had gripped her.

Her grandfather was backstage with her, and seeing how nervous she was, left her alone long enough to motion for Ivan, who had taken a seat at one of the tables close to the stage area, to come back. He did so, and followed the older man to where Angelique stood nervously near a make up table. She was absently petting Apple, while clutching her ocarina, and trying hard to remember to breathe.

Ivan knelt down in front of her, kissed her on the forehead, and patted her head, "Why so nervous? You have practiced for this, da? You were ready yesterday."

Angelique blushed, and shook her head, staring down at the ground. She shifted her weight, and plucked at her skirt, "There's too many people. What if I mess up?"

Ivan hummed, "I don't believe you will. You are very good, Angel, da?"

She shook her head again, and looked up at him with big watery brown eyes, sniffing. "But if I-"

"Nyet." He rested a finger on his chin, "Ah, I will tell you what. If you can't do it. I will be in the wrong, and I will pay for ice cream to make it up, da?"

Angelique sniffed again, wiping at her eyes. She still wasn't very sure of herself, and it showed on her face.

"How about this, then." Ivan started, with a new method in mind. He pulled a pokeball out of his pocket, and held it up for her. "When my eldest sister became Gym leader in Celadon, I gave her one of my sunkern. I did the same for my younger sister, when she earned her own badge from Celadon."

Angelique stared at the pokeball in confusion, but said nothing as Ivan spoke, almost hanging on his every word.

"When the girls I care for do something that is hard for them, I like to give them a Sunkern for succeeded. I would like to do this with you, da? Does that sound good to you, Angel?"

Eyes wide with shock, Angelique stared as if Ivan had just handed her the world. It was one thing for him to offer her ice cream, but to say that she was some how special to him, and to offer her a pokemon, that was beyond anything she ever would have expected. Blushing from her shoulders to the roots of her hair, she nodded lightly, "I- oui... But when I fail, and you still have to take me AND Apple for ice cream! Deal?"

Ivan let a hearty laugh that vibrated in his chest and made Angelique's heart flutter. He kissed her forehead again, before standing up. "Da, of course."

Angelique, confidence renewed, was able to play her role. The trainer they'd chosen to play the role of the 'chosen one', was a young woman from Cerulean City. Angelique played her oracina, and danced the to the soft melody, with Apple dancing with her, a matching white ribbon tied around the vulpix's throat and ankles. Angelique spoke her lines perfectly, just as practiced, and the whole thing went off without a hitch.

The only unplanned part, being the bright blush on her face, from the feel of Ivan's eyes on her the whole time. He watched her with the same pride her grandfather did, and at the end of the ceremony, he met them both outside the restaurant. Angelique was too excited by how well she had done to worry about the pokemon he'd promised her, but he still took her for ice cream and then walked the little family back to their home.

For the next three days, Ivan stayed on the island. Now, he trained with Angelique a little. He helped her learn the basics of battling, and when his ship came for him to return to the Mainland, Angelique was sad to see him go. She gave him the ocarina she'd played so well, made him promise that they would see each other again, and he passed her the pokeball with her new sunkern. With a soft kiss to the forehead, he promised to meet her again, and wished her luck on her upcoming journey as a trainer.

Angelique didn't cry when Ivan left. She watched the ship he took as it disappeared, and felt a little sad- but she told herself that she would see him again. She was registering that week, and told herself she would go to Celadon City first. She might be able to catch Ivan before he left!

When she got home, she pulled out her map and circled Celadon, marked the course from the port in Vermillion City where she would make port.

The sunkern she didn't name, and unlike Apple, she kept it in the pokeball while it was not being trained. She felt this was a sign that she was like a true trainer. She trained both her sunkern and her vulpix, employing some techniques that Francis and Ivan had taught her, as well as a few she had come up with on her own.

By the time it was Angelique's turn to leave Shamouti Island, she had caught her first pokemon on her own- a Seel she affectionately named Selkie, and felt ready. She hugged her grandfather grandfather good bye, promised to come back with a badge case full of Kanto badges.

Her journey began with the help of two men. A cousin she'd known her whole life, and a young man who had come into her life and left it so quickly. She vowed to use what both had taught her, to become a trainer worthy of their league. With Apple at her side, Angelique knew she could do it, and wasn't afraid as she boarded the boat that would take her to the mainland to register fully, and compete in the Kanto Region Pokemon League.


End file.
